NORTHERN NIGERIAN MUSLIM VIEWS OF THE UNITED STATES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ABUJA 000185

SIPDIS
STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/W, AF/RSA, AF/PDPA, DRL, INR/AA
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/26
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PTER SOCI KDEM KISL KPAO NI
SUBJECT: NORTHERN NIGERIAN MUSLIM VIEWS OF THE UNITED STATES

REF: 09 ABUJA 2352

CLASSIFIED BY: James P. McAnulty, Political Counselor, U.S. Embassy
Abuja, Political Section; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)

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SUMMARY

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1. (C) Muslim scholars, government officials, politicians,
professors, students, and civil society representatives discussed
their views on the United States and its foreign policy with
PolOffs during a visit in January to the Northern Nigerian state of
Sokoto. Many interlocutors expressed appreciation for President
Obama's June 2009 speech in Cairo and conveyed optimism that the
Obama administration would improve U.S. relations with the Muslim
world. They cited resolution of the crisis in the Middle East,
however, as key to improving such relations. Most contacts viewed
U.S. foreign policy as one-sided in its support of Israel, but
considered the U.S. as responsible for negotiating peace. Several
Mission contacts said all other forms of engagement with Muslim
communities are meaningless unless there is peace in the Middle
East. The views of some Nigerian Muslims shifted in the wake of
Nigerian suspect Faruk Umaru Abdulmutallab's December 25 attempted
attack on a U.S. commercial airliner. Nigeria's Muslim community
condemned Abdulmutallab's actions in unconditional and unequivocal
terms, but, after the U.S. added Nigeria to the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) list as a "country of interest,"
Mission contacts began to express embarrassment, anger, and
suspicion. END SUMMARY.



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NIGERIAN MUSLIMS STRESS IMPORTANCE OF MIDDLE EAST PEACE

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2. (SBU) Sokoto residents spoke highly of President Obama, his June
2009 speech in Cairo, and U.S. plans to improve relations with the
Muslim world. Interlocutors cautioned PolOffs, however, that
Muslims are "like one body" and a "global village" and therefore
view peace in the Middle East as the essential factor in promoting
a better view of the U.S. within Muslim communities.




3. (C) Usmanu Danfodiyo University Professor of Arabic Studies
Sambo Wali Junaidu described President Obama's Cairo speech as
"positive," "pleasing," and "most accommodating." He added,
however, that people want to see the U.S. President put his words
into action, specifically by resolving the Middle East conflict.
He said Northern Nigerian Muslims, for example, believe the U.S.
can force Israel to stop building settlements.




4. (C) Separately, three prominent Muslim scholars explained the
importance they attach to U.S. policy in the Middle East. Usmanu
Danfodiyo University Professor and Muslim scholar Adamu Abdullahi
said the new U.S. approach to engagement with Muslim communities is
"different" and "good," but Muslims worldwide wanted to see
concrete results, especially in resolving the Middle East conflict.
He recommended that the U.S. engage in "sincere dialogue" and use
its influence, for example, to stop Israel from building
settlements. Likewise, Muslim scholar Mansur Ibrahim said Nigerian
Muslims are pleased with Obama's speeches and optimistic that the
current administration will beget peace, but are still waiting to
see the U.S. "take action." Like Professors Junaidu and Abdullahi,
Ibrahim held that Israel would not continue to build settlements if
the U.S. was serious about pursuing peace in the Middle East.
Sociology Associate Professor Suleiman Khalid also said Obama's
inaugural address and his Cairo speech were well received by
Muslims, but that they "expect to see it translated into practice."
Khalid explained that Northern Nigerians have many identities,
including political, ethnic, and geographic. However, most

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strongly identify themselves as Muslim, and are, therefore,
conscious of what happens to their "brothers" throughout the world.
He added that, despite low literacy in Northern Nigeria, the
population is aware of global affairs from international radio
programs.




5. (SBU) During a youth round-table discussion at the American
Corner in Sokoto, some students, particularly those who had
traveled to the U.S., stated that they viewed President Obama's
speech in Cairo as "amazing" and appreciated his quoting of the
Koran. Others, however, remarked that the U.S. and Europe are not
sincere in their efforts to engage the Muslim world. One student
said, when he heard the U.S. President speak in Cairo, he thought
the speech was "purely politics." Some students said that the U.S.
shows aggression and interference in Islamic countries and urged
the U.S. to refrain from intervening in countries' internal
affairs.



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SHIFTING ATTITUDES, GROWING SUSPICIONS

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6. (SBU) Sokoto interlocutors condemned Abdulmutallab's actions,
insisting that Islam is a religion of peace. Many expressed
embarrassment from the event. Media reports that the U.S. had
added Nigeria as a "country of interest," however, have caused
Nigerian Muslims to feel harshly judged and discriminated against
by the U.S., which has led people to become angry and suspicious.




7. (C) Muslim scholar Khalid said the Abdulmutallab incident is
"strange" to Nigeria since suicide bombing is not part of Nigerian
culture, which contributed to skepticism and conspiracy theories.
Khalid expressed skepticism over the ability of Abdulmutallab to
pass through the various security screenings if he had had the bomb
materials on him at the time. He asserted the possibility that
Abdulmutallab had undergone "hypnosis" after which someone had
planted the bomb on him. He even wondered whether the U.S. might
have set up the incident as an excuse to invade Yemen. Echoing
arguments heard from other Nigerian interlocutors, Khalid
questioned why the U.S. had not placed Great Britain on a security
watch list after the "shoe bomber" incident or after learning that
Abdulmutallab had received much of his higher education in London.




8. (C) Opposition Democratic People's Party (DPP) Sokoto State
Secretary Athair Mohammed insisted to PolOffs that U.S. reaction to
Abdulmutallab's attempted attack contrasted with the President's
message in Cairo. He claimed that the U.S.-Nigeria relationship
was "irreparable" as a result of Nigeria's inclusion as a "country
of interest." He opined that the U.S. should not place names of
individuals on any watch list, as he feared that persons with
similar names would suffer.




9. (C) Federal Organization of Muslim Women's Associations of
Nigeria (FOMWAN) Sokoto Branch representatives emphasized to
PolOffs that they did not condone Abdulmutallab's actions, calling
the attempted attack "lamentable." They, too, said an unfair bias
now existed against Nigerians as a result of one individual's
actions.




10. (C) Professor Junaidu said Nigerian Muslims did not support
Abdulmutallab's actions, blaming him for what he attempted to do,
but described the U.S. reaction as "wrong." He described the TSA
listing of Nigeria as a "miscarriage of justice." Junaidu remarked
that the U.S. should not hold 150 million Nigerians accountable for

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one person's actions. He expressed disappointment that the
Secretary of State had described Abdulmutallab as "an enemy waging
war on America," advising that U.S. officials should not repeat
this phrase. He recommended that the U.S. extradite Abdulmutallab
to Nigeria for prosecution and sentencing.




11. (C) Sokoto State Permanent Secretary for Political and
Chieftaincy Affairs Salihu Muhammad Gatawa said "Americans need to
understand that there is a great difference between a Muslim and an
extremist." He opined that the need existed to enhance security
and surveillance, while simultaneously educating and enlightening
others about real Islam. He said suicide is contrary to both Islam
and Nigerian culture. He commented that many people do not
consider Abudulmutallab to be a real Nigerian.




12. (SBU) Students said they felt "stigmatized" by the inclusion of
Nigeria on the U.S. list of "countries of interest." Some students
expressed doubts about the accuracy of the accounts of
Abdulmutallab's actions and believed that the incident could
involve a conspiracy.




13. (C) Usmanu Danfodiyo University Centre for Peace Studies
Director T. A. Muhammad Baba, who had initially offered to assist
PolOffs in organizing a discussion with students, later demurred,
saying he did not consider the timing for the visit to be good. He
described the environment in Sokoto following Abdulmutallab's
arrest as "too tense." Baba told PolOffs that some people had
become suspicious of his intentions and asked if he worked for the
"CIA." He remarked that even some professors refused to meet with
visiting PolOffs. Similarly, the Muslim scholars said those who
support development programs are seen by others as "U.S. agents."



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CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT

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14. (C) Sokoto contacts generally believed that the American people
are accepting of Muslims, but alleged that U.S. foreign policy was
damaging to Muslim communities and said the U.S. government "has to
change." Muslim scholar Abdullahi said the U.S. is currently only
"treating the symptoms." He asserted that exchange opportunities
and programs in Muslim communities are not addressing the real
problems in the Muslim world. Moreover, he said U.S. foreign
policies negate the achievements and progress made from these types
of outreach. He recommended that the U.S. begin to do things that
"give Muslim people confidence." Abdullahi's colleague Khalid
accused the U.S. of having double standards and said "it seems the
American people elect governments that act in contrast to them."
He said Muslims believe the United States instigated the 1980 to
1988 war between Iraq and Iran. When asked which country they
thought the U.S. should emulate, the religious scholars said,
"China is the ideal example of a country promoting development
while practicing non-interference."




15. (SBU) DPP Sokoto State Secretary Athair Mohammed suggested that
more diplomatic dialogue and messages countering negative media
reports would be needed to improve U.S.-Nigeria relations following
the Abdulmutallab incident. FOMWAN Sokoto State Secretary Fatima
Ahmad said people in the area, especially women, remained concerned
with their ability to practice their religion freely. The FOMWAN
representatives encouraged the U.S. to continue dialogue, visits,
and exchange opportunities. They suggested that the U.S. may need
to "relax some of the rules." Sokoto State Religious Affairs
Permanent Secretary Abubakar Nababa Umar said the U.S. should "put
forward its intentions" and continue to provide humanitarian
assistance through nongovernmental organizations. Sokoto Governor

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Wamakko said he hoped the U.S. would reinstate the Peace Corps in
addition to continuing to offer exchange opportunities.



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COMMENT

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16. (C) Nigeria's TSA listing rankled many Nigerians, both Muslim
and Christian, but the broader suspicions and skepticisms of these
Muslim elites reflect the paranoia and disinformation frequently
promoted by extremist websites and other Islamist portals. It is
unclear how deep these sentiments run in Northern Nigeria, but
there's no question that the region's low literacy,
underdevelopment, and relative isolation foster an environment
vulnerable to extremist manipulation. END COMMENT.
SANDERS